Villagers kill Leopard with sticks

Hundreds of angry villagers from Garh Mukteshwar area, around 80km from the national Capital, killed a leopard in presence of forest and police officials, after the animal injured around seven people, including two policemen, on Monday evening.

Hundreds of angry villagers from Garh Mukteshwar area, around 80km from the national Capital, killed a leopard in presence of forest and police officials, after the animal injured around seven people, including two policemen, on Monday evening.

The incident occurred when two farmers were working in a sugarcane field and spotted a leopard, which attacked them. Soon, the villagers encircled the fields to prevent the leopard from running away. “We received information from police around noon and rushed to the spot. We also called wildlife team from Delhi who arrived by 4pm. When we spotted the animal, he jumped and injured two policemen after which the villagers turned wild and lynched the animal,” district forest officer (DFO) YP Malik said. “Unfortunately, villagers hit the animal with heavy sticks which ruptured his head, causing his death.” The official denied that the leopard was a man-eater.